Should teens and parents be Facebook friends?

Despite some teenagers posting explicit messages to their friends and taking sometimes-borderline photographs of themselves to use on their Facebook pages, Rotorua teenagers seem to be content with letting their parents see everything on their social networking sites. The Daily Post youth affairs reporter KRISTY MARTIN finds out why teenagers aren't hiding their Facebook pages from their parents.
WHEN it comes to Facebook, it seems many Rotorua teens are happy to be friends with their parents on Facebook and those who aren't, simply want some privacy.
If their parents are on Facebook and want to add their teens as Facebook friends, it seems the thing to do is accepting the friend request - or simply ignore them.
But it's not because Rotorua teenagers want to hide their dodgy antics - such as drinking at parties, posing for photographs in their bikinis or revealing their secret crushes with the older generation - they simply want to have a  social online life outside of their home life. They simply want some privacy.
According to a new study, about two-thirds of American teenagers don't have a problem with having their parents as Facebook friends.
Kaplan Test Prep questioned 2313 students between the ages of 16 and 18 about social networking trends. The study showed that 65 per cent of teens are comfortable enough with their parents to have them as Facebook friends and are not hiding from them.
However, 16 per cent of students said befriending their parents was a precondition for joining the social networking site, and 38 per cent said they simply ignored friend requests from them.
In Rotorua, teenagers such as Jordi Webber are happy to give his mum free rein on his Facebook page.
The 16-year-old said he had nothing to hide from mum Jacque  and only used Facebook for its purpose - to keep in touch with friends.
The popular student is head boy at Rotorua Boys' High School and enters a lot of nationwide competitions.
"It's a good way to keep in touch with all the new friends I make."
He said he had a good relationship with his mum and wasn't worried about her seeing what he was up to online.
"I'm not doing anything I don't want her to see."
Jacque thinks it's cool that her son wants to be friends with her on Facebook.

She said she doesn't really worry about what he did.
"I know he'd never do anything silly. He's a good kid, I trust him."
Jacque said they had a busy family and it was a good communication tool for family members who lived out of town.
She also said they had a good relationship and she'd never purposefully go through Jordi's page.
"We don't even really talk online because we live in the same house."
While some Rotorua teens would rather keep their online identities a mystery, they say it's not because they're doing anything bad - they're just being teenagers and want their privacy.
Rotorua Boys' High School student Jesse Conroy, 16, says he isn't friends with his parents on Facebook. "I don't want them to know what I'm up to."
Jesse said it wasn't because he was getting into trouble or getting up to anything in particular, he just liked having his own life and privacy. Rotorua Girls' High School student Mariewa Hill, 17, said her parents weren't on Facebook but she wouldn't be bothered if they were. "I don't really care that much."
Students Megan Ensor and Ngareta Knowles, both 17, said they would rather not be friends with parents online.
The  teens, who are both students at Rotorua Girls' High School, say there isn't anything bad on their Facebook pages but at their age, they want to create their own identity without being under the watchful eye of their parents.
Megan said it was important to have privacy. "I don't want them looking at my photos and comments all the time."
Ngareta said she wouldn't want her parents  checking up on her.
"My mum keeps trying to add me but I just decline her," she said.
 
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Facebook safety tips for teenagers:

Don't give out your password to anyone, not even your significant other or best friend.

Be sure to customise privacy settings on the Privacy Settings page if you are uncomfortable being found in searches or having your profile viewed by people from your school or work networks.

Remember that unless you're prepared to attach something in your profile to a CV or scholarship application, don't post it.

When you report abuse about postings or photos uploaded by a Facebook user or group, it will be anonymous.
 
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Facebook safety tips for parents:
The best thing to do is to talk to your children and teach them about using the site safely.

All abuse reports on Facebook are confidential. The user that you are reporting will not know that you have reported them.

Facebook takes the safety of its users very seriously and makes a significant effort to take down any objectionable material that may be posted on the site. It encourages users to report offensive profiles, messages, groups, events, shares, notes and photos.

Your teenager can report a Facebook user and also block a user if they choose to

Have an agreement about what's okay to post.

Make sure your teen understands that anyone who can see a post can also copy it, alter it and forward it.